Jouji Yanami was a renowned Japanese actor and voice actor, celebrated for his extensive career that spanned over five decades and left an indelible mark on the anime industry. Born Shigemitsu Shirato on August 30, 1931, in Tokyo, he was affiliated with the talent management firm Aoni Production for the majority of his career. He passed away on December 3, 2021, at the age of 90.

Yanami's career began in the 1960s, a formative era for Japanese animation. His early work included roles in seminal series such as Wolf Boy Ken, Osomatsu-kun, and the 1968 version of Cyborg 009, where he first voiced the character Dr. Isaac Gilmore, a role he would reprise in later films and series. The 1970s saw him become a ubiquitous presence in the burgeoning super robot genre. He provided the voice for Professor Gennosuke Yumi in Mazinger Z, Benkei Kuruma in Getter Robo G, and Dr. Genzō Umon in UFO Robo Grendizer, often appearing in the crossover films that combined these universes. He also took on villainous roles, such as Emperor Burai in Getter Robo G and Emperor Vega in UFO Robo Grendizer.

A significant and enduring part of his legacy was his association with the Time Bokan series, a long-running franchise of comedic adventure anime produced by Tatsunoko Production. Starting with the original Time Bokan in 1975, Yanami became a staple of the series, voicing a multitude of memorable characters. He was particularly known for his roles as the bumbling villain Boyacky in Yatterman, as well as Sekobitchi in Time Patrol-Tai Otasukeman, Dasinen in Itadakiman, and Julie Kokematsu in Yattodetaman, among many others. His contributions extended to performing ending theme songs for some of these series.

In the 1980s, he continued to amass a vast filmography, taking on roles in series like Magical Emi as Yōsuke Nakamori and in the numerous installments of GeGeGe no Kitarō, where he frequently voiced the yōkai Ittan Momen across multiple adaptations and films. However, the role that would define his career for international audiences began in 1986 with the start of the Dragon Ball anime series. Yanami became the iconic narrator of the Dragon Ball franchise, his distinctive, powerful voice guiding viewers through the epic adventures of Goku and his friends. In addition to narrating Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Kai, and the beginning of Dragon Ball Super, he also voiced several key characters, including the brilliant scientist Dr. Briefs, the King of Earth, the wizard Bobbidi, and most notably, the otherworldly trainer King Kai, known in Japan as Kaiō-sama.

His later career was no less active, with roles in enduring hits such as Digimon Adventure as the mysterious Gennai, One Piece as the Sky Knight Gan Fall, and Inuyasha as the eccentric swordsmith Tōtōsai. In 2015, while working on Dragon Ball Super, Yanami took a leave of absence for health reasons, and his roles as the narrator and King Kai were taken over by Naoki Tatsuta. This marked the end of his active career, concluding a remarkable body of work that spanned from the black-and-white era of Japanese television to the global phenomenon of modern anime. Jouji Yanami's legacy is that of a foundational figure in anime voice acting, whose versatile performances enriched countless classic series and brought joy to generations of fans worldwide.